When the founding emperors of the Song defeated the courts of their
rivals, they took over their court artists, who included some experts in
bird and flower painting. From then on, this type of painting was
a specialty of the court.

This large
handscroll, perhaps originally part of a screen painting, was painted by
Cui Bo, active during the reign of Shenzong (r. 1067-85).

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Cui Bo, like many other painters from the provinces, came to the
capital to seek an appointment at court. Known as a genius
at painting but otherwise eccentric and inept at practical
matters, the emperor Shenzong required very little of him other
than to paint for him personally.

This painting has the
title "Double Happiness," a reference to the
pronunciation of the Chinese word for magpie. "Two
magpies" was pronounced the same as "two
happinesses," so a painting of two magpies was a pictorial
metaphor for double happiness and thus an appropriate subject
for a painting to be given to someone to express
congratulations, especially for a wedding. In many other
cases as well paintings of birds and flowers gain meaning from
homophones of the objects depicted.

The painting is signed
and dated 1061, making it the earliest such signed and dated
painting.

The birds and branches
shown here are details from a large hanging scroll, depicting several
birds perched in the branches of an old plum tree or the bamboo next to
it. The painting was probably done by artists serving under Huizong (r.
1100-1125).

Beginning in Huizong's reign, court
painters were expected to be able to couple painting and poetry.
Huizong had painters paint scenes that would match poetic lines.
During the Southern Song some emperors and empresses inscribed poetic
lines to go with small paintings, especially album leaves. In the
painting below, the court painter Ma Lin has painted the blossoming
branches to go along with a poem inscribed by an imperial consort.

Do you think the painting and calligraphy complement
each other here? How would style in calligraphy relate to style in
painting?

For more on the links between painting, poetry, and
calligraphy, go on to Scholars' Painting.